How do beginners get fit? The Definitive Guide!

Do you want to get fit but don't know where to start? Then, you can get fit if you want!

It's time to take control of your life and start getting the body you want. I will provide you with a plan to help you lose weight, build muscle, and feel great about yourself every day.

Stop feeling insecure at the gym or being embarrassed by how out-of-shape you are. It's time to change all that!

Get ready for your fitness journey and an exciting new way of living where every day brings something new and exciting. Don't wait another minute before taking action on this opportunity because tomorrow might be too late.

How do beginners get fit?

Start by doing an aerobic activity like walking or jogging for a 20-30 minute period four to five times each week.

To guarantee that you're operating at your peak, try the "talk test": Make sure you can converse without getting too winded.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 20-30 minutes of walking at least three times per week. Try to go about 5 mph, take long strides, and don't stroll.

Ten minutes should feel like 15-minutes or slightly more strenuous than walking for an hour on the treadmill; 20 minutes should be pretty tough to do at first but will get easier over time.

Suppose you make it up to 30-minutes, great! However, don't exceed 60 minutes - even the fit people out there might feel overworked after that much training.

The AHA recommends no more than 150 mins of moderate-intensity exercise a week as a beginner halfway between their maximum guideline for this group which is 150 mins.

According to People should do at least 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75-150 minutes of vigorous-intensity physical activity every week or a combination of the two.

Try strengthening exercises two to three times a week, such as sit-ups, pushups, and squats.

You will have a stronger foundation from which you'll build upon with future workouts. Ok, but how do I start?

First, you need to evaluate yourself.

First of all, you need to know your physical fitness level. If you are unsure, it's a good idea to see your doctor before starting any fitness program.

You should also have the proper equipment to perform exercises efficiently. You don't want to force yourself into doing something that doesn't match with you, or you will not get the best out of your workout. So let's go for it!

Exercise program types for beginners

There are three basic types of exercise you can do to get fit. They are cardiovascular exercises, flexibility training, and strengthening exercises.

Cardio workout

Cardio workouts are all about you getting your heart rate up. So you can expect that you will be breathing faster than usual while doing them, but you will still have enough oxygen you need for the rest of the day.

These exercises can come in many different forms. For example, you could go walking, running, biking, swimming. You name it!

The goal of cardiovascular workouts is to improve your cardiovascular system. Once you have reached that goal, you can stop doing cardio regularly because your training will not go further on to the next level.

You should do this type of training when you don't have a particular goal you want to achieve. For example, you can also do it if your goal is weight loss.

Flexibility training

Flexibility training is essential in your fitness program to prevent injury, and also, you will be less stiff if you maintain a proper level of flexibility.

Try stretching in the morning for a couple of minutes before you get out of bed, and you'll be surprised by the difference you feel.

Stretching after your workout is another great idea you can do. It can even help you recover faster from your workout, and you will reduce the soreness you feel the next day.

This type of training should last long enough to achieve a good level of flexibility, but it shouldn't last too long, or you won't be able to do anything else.

Strengthening exercises

If you want to lose weight or get in shape, you must combine cardio and strength workouts.

It would be best to do this training a couple of days a week to keep fit because it's the most important one you need for this goal.

Generally, you will work on your legs, arms, abs, and lower back.

Remember, you are a beginner, so you don't have to do too much in your workout routine! However, you need to increase it slowly over time or get the best out of your workout.

Rest days

Of course, you have to rest some days if you want your body to recover and you will be able to do something the next day.

Your routine should include 2-3 cardio days, one strength training day, and taking a rest or two each week.

That means you would only work out every other day with your rest days in between. So you could work out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday if you want.

There you have it. You've learned the basics of a beginner workout program. It might seem simple, but you can grow with it by increasing your reps or sets slowly over time.

Also, you can add some weights to the exercises you do on your strength day. If you want something more specific, you should go and see a personal trainer you can trust.

A personal trainer will help you come up with an exercise routine that you will enjoy.

7 Steps to get fit in no time!

Step 1: Healthy diet

It doesn't matter how many exercises you do if you don't eat healthily. So start by eating more fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein such as lean beef or skinless chicken.

Step 2: Take it easy

Don't overdo the exercises you do. You'll end up hurting yourself, or you won't see any results you want to achieve.

Start with fewer reps and sets, preferably 2-3 each time you work out, and you should increase them slowly to avoid injuries.

I recommend you start by just walking a couple of days a week to see how you feel and get more confident! With time you can add more types of cardio workouts, and you will get better at them.

Step 3: Stretch

It's essential that you stretch before and after you do your exercises. If you don't, you might have pain the next day, or you could get injured.

You might not feel the importance of this step at first, but you will see that you can do more exercises once you stretch better than you did before!

Step 4: Do strength training

Start by doing just one strength training day a week, and you can add more days if you want to. After some time, you will be able to do 2-3 days each week.

Also, it would be best if you started by doing lighter weights until you get used to it. Then, over time, you can increase the weight you are using if you are feeling comfortable.

Step 5: Sleep at least 6-8 hours daily.

That is another crucial step you have to take care of! You need to sleep a minimum of 6-8 hours a day to feel good.

If you don't sleep enough, you won't be able to do your workouts as you want because you won't have the energy you need.

In the same way, you will have less motivation to eat healthily, and you could gain weight!

Step 6: Have fun!

The most important thing you have to do is to enjoy yourself. That way, you will stay motivated, and you won't get bored of your training sessions.

If you want, you can start by having a personal trainer who will be there every day you go to the gym, but you need to take some time each day! Maybe you love music? So you can start by listening to music you like as you exercise.

You don't have to work out every day of the week if you don't want to, but you have to take care of your body and be fit!

Step 7: Have the right mindset.

When it comes to attaining your fitness objectives, your attitude is the most crucial element. Only physical results follow after mental training, so when you've gained control of your mind, it's time to start working out.

Fitness terminology

Now I will tell you a few things about fitness and its terminology you need to know.

Aerobic or cardio activity

Cardiovascular exercise is another name for aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise uses big muscles, and you complete it over an extended amount of time. Walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling are examples of aerobic exercises.

Workout

A workout is a planned physical activity you complete to be healthy or stay fit. You can have a daily, weekly, or monthly plan that you follow depending on your fitness level and the time you want to invest.

Warm-up

Warming up is a vital part of training. It will help your muscles get ready for exercise and prevent injury. However, to warm up, you need to know how to do it properly and well.

Cooldown

The cooldown is the less-hard exercise you do to cool your body down. For example, after more challenging training, you might walk slowly and slightly incline for several minutes until your breathing and heart rate slow down. Stretching is part of a cooldown.

Set

A set is a group of some number of repetitions. First, you rest or do another exercise, and then you do the set again. For example, you can do 6 different exercises and each one 4 times.

Rep or repetition

With this, you count all the times you complete an exercise such as jumping jacks. Jumping jacks are called 'non-stop' exercises because you don't stop moving.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT)

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) is a form of sports training that consists of brief, extremely intense interval periods with alternating efforts and rest.

HIIT is an exercise you do for a short time, but you push yourself to reach your maximum point.

It is called interval training because you rest and you repeat the same exercise over again with little or no rest in between sets.

Low-intensity cardio/endurance training

This activity is when you use small muscles while you move slower than you would in HIIT. You do endurance training to improve your cardiovascular fitness, and you can use an elliptical or a treadmill.

Maximum heart rate (MHR)

Your maximum heart rate is the highest number of times your heart can beat in one minute.

The Max Heart Rate is calculated based on the person's age. To estimate a person's maximum age-related heart rate, subtract the individual's age from 220.

It's essential you know this number because you will use it when you do HIIT exercises. In addition, it will help you understand how much you should push yourself.

Body fat percentage

That tells you what percentage of your body consists of fat. If you have a high amount of body fat, you might be overweight or obese. You can reduce body fat by doing cardiovascular exercises and strength training regularly.

Muscle tone

It's the 'tightness' you get in your muscles when you work them out regularly. The muscles you can see and feel (like your arms and your stomach) are the muscles you train.

Fitness equipment you can use

Exercise ball

If you don't have a way of doing strength training, you can use an exercise ball to strengthen your muscles. That's why you should buy one if you want to get fit. You can do pushups, or you can sit on the exercise ball, and you balance your body as you move from side to side.

Dumbbells

Dumbbells are usually used for weight training to get muscle mass. They're small weights you hold with both your hands. You can do bicep curls, overhead presses, and you can also use them when you do squats or lunges.

Barbell

A barbell is a bar with weighted ends that are used for strength training and other exercises.

A barbell is a more significant kind of weight you use for weight training. You can put it on your shoulders, and you can do squats with it.

Kettlebells

These are like the big version of dumbbells you use for your leg workouts like deadlifts or curls.

Resistance band

Elasticated bands, often known as elastic bands, are a sort of physical training equipment elongated in form and made of a flexible material, usually latex or rubber. They can also be constructed of fabric. Elastic bands are often known as resistance bands or elastic resistance bands.

Treadmill

You use a treadmill to improve your cardiovascular fitness. It's one of the best pieces of equipment you can buy if you want to get fit because you'll be able to do cardio, and you'll increase your heart rate and speed without moving from one place.

If you're ready to start getting fit, you should begin by buying some aerobic training equipment and start doing cardio. You can do HIIT exercises at home until you're ready to join a gym, or you can go to the gym if you want some extra guidance during your training.

Jump rope

The jump rope is a form of cardio you can do at home. It's an excellent and fun way to increase your heart rate, and you don't need any equipment to do it. To learn how you should jump, you should watch youtube videos or find tutorials online.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, if you want to get fit and healthy, it's all about following a plan. If you haven't already done so, we hope that today has given you some insight into what methods and steps can help make your fitness goals come true.

So start exercising! And feel free to share this blog post with friends who may also be interested in getting on track with their health and wellness through exercise.

We have more articles coming soon on how to stay motivated for working out and tips on eating right when trying to lose weight or maintain weight loss.

Remember these neuroscience sales tips next time you need motivation for sticking with your new workout routine!

DISCLAIMER: buildyourbody.org does not provide medical advice, examination, and diagnosis.

Medically reviewed and approved by Nataniel Josue M D.